Fastening-inserting machine



Dec. 15, 1942.

H. LANE v FASTENING-INSERTING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet l YII Dec. 15, 1942. LANE FASTENING-INSERTING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 igca 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 H. LANE FASTENING -INSERTING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1942 Dec. 15

Dec. 15, 1942. H. LANE 2,305,535

FASTENING-INSERTING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 15, 1942 FASTENING-INSERTING MACHINE Harold Lane, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 5, 1942, Serial No. 441,807 In Great Britain April 25, 1941 24 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to fasteninginserting machines, and is herein illustrated as applied to a machine for pulling uppers over lasts in the manufacture of shoes and for inserting fastenings to fasten the uppers, the machine being one of a type exemplified by the disclosure of United States Letters Patent No. 1,510,851, granted on October '7, 1924, on an application of A. E. Jerram and J. Gouldbourn. An object of the invention is to provide in a machine of that type improved means for feeding fastenings to the fastening-inserting means; but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to machines of that type or to machines for operating on shoes, and that in some novel and useful aspects also it is applicable to the feeding of articles other than fastenings.

Machines of the above-mentioned type are each provided with a plurality of fastening-inserting mechanisms having drivers movable upwardly in driver passages to insert fastenings, which are customarily tacks, into a shoe positioned bottom downward, the fastening-inserting mechanisms being movable in directions transverse to the paths of upward movement of the movements. In operating in this manner it is desirable to supply currents of air at comparatively low pressure, in order to avoid the possibility of corrosion of the metal walls of portions of the conduits by condensation of moisture thereon. It has been found that this may be done drivers from fastening-receiving positions into fastening-inserting positions under the shoe. Such machines have been further provided heretofore with means constructed as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,921,099, granted on August 8, 1933, on an application of W. T. B. Roberts, for feeding fastenings into the driver passages when the fastening-inserting mechanisms are in their fastening-receiving positions.

As therein disclosed, the fastenings are fed by currents of air through conduits having upwardly extending portions opening into the driver passages above the upper ends of the drivers when the drivers are in their initial positions, portions of the conduits being curved to invert the fastenings deposited therein point downward, so that the fastenings are delivered point upward into the driver passages. In order to afford better insurance against failure to drive a fastening by reason of its accidental return into the conduit from which it was delivered, it has been proposed heretofore, as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,304,572, granted on December 8, 1942, on an application of F. B.

Keall, to feed the fastenings by currents of air which are so prolonged as to support the fastenings above the drivers during the movements of the fastening-inserting mechanisms into their fastening-inserting positions and even until the time when the drivers receive their operative with entirely satisfactory results when the fastenings are of comparatively light weight, such as are used in shoes of the McKay type, but that when the fastenings are somewhat heavier and longer, such as those used in making welt shoes, it may happen that a fastening will not be properly delivered because of failure of such a current of air to dislodge it from its position of rest in the delivery conduit, especially if the conduit is somewhat rough.

In view of the above and other considerations, the present invention provides improved means for feeding fastenings, such as to insure that they will be properly fed and controlled under all conditions. For the purposes in view, in the construction herein shown, two sources of air supply are utilized for the feeding of the fastenings, with means for effecting a prolonged delivery of air, preferably at comparatively low pressure, from one of the sources and for effecting a momentary delivery of air, preferably at higher pressure, from the other of the sources. More particularly, the construction shown comprises a rotary pump for delivering a current of air into each conduit when the fastening-inserting means is in fastening-receiving position and for continuing the current of air substantially until the time of the fastening-inserting operation, and a reciprocating pump for delivering a puff of air into each conduit also when the fastening-inserting means is in fastening-receiving position to assist in dislodging each fastening and in thus starting its feeding movement. In this manner insurance is afforded that each fastening will be properly fed and that it will be positioned thereafter in proper relation to its driver when the driver is operated.

The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in right-hand side elevation of most of the lower portion of a machine of the type illustrated in the above-mentioned Letters Patent as modified for purposes of the present invention;

-after by reference to Fig. '7.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the upper portion of the machine, with parts in section;

Fig. 3 shows certain parts as viewed in the direction of the arrow III in Fig, 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of a. portion of the fastening-feeding means shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line VV of Fig. 4 showing the parts as they appear prior to the operation of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View showing a portion of one of the fastening-inserting mechanisms in fastening-inserting position and illustratingits relation to a shoe;

Fig. 7 shows partly in section certain means which appears in Fig. 1 for controlling the fastening-inserting mechanisms, as viewed in the direction of the arrow VII in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is a section on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. '7.

Like prior machines of the illustrated type, the machine herein shown includes a base 2 on which is pivotally mounted at 4 a head 6 normally positioned as shown in Fig. 1 and located at the front of a vertical rear column 8. The head 5 serves as a support for a shoe rest l0 (Fig. 6) on which a shoe mounted on its last is positioned bottom downward, for a plurality of grippers I2, one of which is visible in Fig. 6, which grip the margin of the shoe upper and pull it over the last, and for a plurality of fastening-inserting mechanisms l4 mounted for swinging movements from initial fastening-receiving positions, in which they are shown in Fig. 2, into positions to insert fastenings upwardly into the shoe to fasten the margin of the upper over an insole on the bottom of the last, in which position one of the mechanisms is shown in Fig. 6. The fastening-inserting mechanisms are provided with wipers l6 for wiping the margin of the upper inwardly over the insole as the mechanisms are swung inwardly toward the shoe. It will be understood that there are three fastening-inserting mechanisms l4 associated with grippers [2 at the end of the toe and the opposite sides of the foreport, re-

spectively, as will be more fully evident herein- In the machine herein shown the fastening-inserting mechanism at the end of the toe is constructed to drive a single upper-fastening tack, and the mechanism at each side of the forepart is constructed to drive three tacks, The operating parts of the machine are driven or controlled as heretofore by cams on an upwardly extending cam shaft I8, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 1, this cam shaft being operated through gearing (not shown) by a horizontal main shaft 20.

The machine further includes, as heretofore, an oscillatory tack hopper 22 (Fig. 2) and separating means 24 for separating and delivering tacks point downward from raceways which are supplied with tacks by the tack hopper, the tacks being delivered by the separating means into flexible tubes 25 leading to the fasteninginserting mechanisms 14. The tack hopper is yieldingly operated by a vertically movable rack bar 23 connected by a link to the upper end of a rod 32 which is moved downwardly and upwardly by a bell-crank lever 34 (Fig. 1) operated by a cam on the cam shaft l8. Substantially at the beginning of the power operation of the machine downward movement is imparted to the rod 32 to turn the tack hopper 22 in one direction, and near the end of the cycle of operations the rod is moved upwardly to turn the hopper in the other direction, this upward movement of the rod being effective to cause the separating means 24 to deliver tacks into the several tubes 26 for use in the operation of the machine on the next shoe.

The lower portions of the flexible tubes 26 are curved, and their lower ends communicate with upwardly extending ducts 36 formed in blocks 38 which are supported on arms 49 of the movable fastening-inserting mechanisms 14, one of the ducts 36 being shown in Fig. 6. Accordingly, tacks deposited point downward in the tubes by the separating means are inverted and are delivered point upward along the ducts 36. Each duct 36 opens at its upper end into a driver passage 42 in the block 38 above the upper end of a tack driver 44 when the driver is in its initial position. Tack-guiding fingers 45 are arranged to overlie each driver passage 42 to centralize the point of the tack relatively to the driver when it is driven, these fingers being wedged apart by the tack and the driver in the tack-driving operation, Each tube 26 and the duct 36 with which it communicates may be termed a conduit for tacks through which they are fed to the corresponding driver passage 42.

The tacks deposited in the tubes 26 are fed upwardly into the driver passages 42 by forcing air into the upper ends of the tubes. To conduct the air to the tubes there is provided below the tack-separating means 24 a block 48 elongated widthwise of the machine and having therein tack-guiding ducts 56 (Figs. 4 and 5) which receive tacks from the separating means. The ducts 50 are arranged to communicate with ducts 52 formed in a casting 54 on which the block 48 is supported, and the ducts 52 commu nicate with the upper ends of the tubes 25. Mounted in a bore in the block 48 is a cylindrical member 56 having a recess 58 extending part way around its periphery, the length of the recess widthwise of the machine being somewhat less than the length of the cylindrical member. Air introduced into this recess passes through ducts 60 in the block 48 into passageways 62 in the casting 54, these passageways leading into the previously mentioned ducts 52.

To feed the tacks, the present invention pro- Vides two sources of air supply from which, air is conducted into the above-mentioned recess 53, one of these sources comprising a rotary pump 64 (Figs. 1 and 3) of any suitable construction and the other source comprising a pumptii (Fig. 2) of the reciprocating type. The rotary pump is supported on one arm of a lever 68 which is pivotally mounted at 10 on a bracket '52 fast on a cover plate 14 which extends over reverse drive mechanism with which a machine of the illus trated type is customarily provided, this mechanism being constructed as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,962,260, granted on June 12, 1934, on an application of W. T. B. Roberts. Mounted in a recess in the other arm of the lever 68 and abutting against the cover plate 74 is a compression spring 15 which tends to swing the lever in a counterclockwise direction as the parts are viewed in Fig. 3 and thus to move the air pump 64 into a position in which a friction disk 78 fast on its shaft 80 is engaged by a continuously driven pulley 82 which is normally loose on the shaft 20 and through which this shaft is operated at the proper times. The pulley 82 is provided with a groove 84 (Fig. 1) into which the disk 18 is arranged to extend. In this mannor the pump 84 is driven by the pulley and forces air through a tube 86 into the previously mentioned recess 58 in the cylindrical member 55. Normally, however, the lever 68 is held against the resistance of the spring H in a position in which the pump 64 is disconnected from the pulley 82. For this purpose there is provided a latch lever 88 (Fig. 1) which is pivotally mounted between its ends on the column 8 and the lower arm of which has a shoulder arranged to extend under the lower face of a bar 98 fast on the lever 68. A spring 92 connected at one end to the column (3 and at its other end to the lower arm of the latch lever 88 tends to maintain this lever in position to prevent the pump 64 from being driven by the pulley 82. The upper end of the latch lever 88 is in the path of downward movement of an abutment 94 on the lower end of the previously mentioned rod 32 through which the tack hopper 22 is oscillated. Accordingly, when this rod receives its downward movement immediately after the starting of the machcine the latch lever 88 is swung to release the lever 68, so that the pump 54 is moved by the spring l6 into position to be driven by the pulley 82.

the tubes 26 to feed the tacks already deposited in the tubes upwardly into the driver passages 42, and these currents of air are prolonged to support the tacks above the upper ends of the drivers 44, as illustrated in Fig. 6, during the movements of the fastening-inserting mechanisms from their fastening-receiving positions into their fasteninginserting positions and substantially until the time of operation of th drivers to drive the tacks, insurance thus being afforded that none of the tacks will accidentally return into the duct 38 from which it was fed. To permit the air thus delivered to escape from the driver passages, small escape holes 96 are provided in the tackguiding fingers 48. In order to avoid, as far as possible, any corrosion of the walls of the metal ducts or passages through which the prolonged currents of air are forced, the pump 64 is so designed as to deliver air at a comparatively low pressure such, for example, as one or two pounds to'the square inch.

In order to prevent air from escaping upwardly through the ducts 52 and 5!) to the separating means when the air is delivered into the tubes 26,

there is provided a bar 98 which serves as a gate member slidingly movable in the casting 54.Th.is bar is provided with ducts I08 arranged to register at times with the ducts 58 and 52 and through which tacks must pass to reach the tubes 26. Initially the bar 98 is in such a position that its ducts I80 are thus in alinement with the ducts 5i and 52, and to move the bar into position to prevent upward escape of air the right-hand end of the bar is connected to the upper end of an arm I02 fast on the front end of a rockshaft mounted in a bracket on the column 8. A horizontally extending arm I85 fast on the rear end of the rockshaft I84 is provided with a member I08 arranged to underlie a lug I88 carried by the link 38. When the rod 32, therefore, is moved downward substantially at the beginning of the cycle of operations the shaft IE4 is rocked against the resistance of a spring I III to move the bar 98 into a position in which its ducts I68 are out of alinement with the ducts 5D and 52. It will be understood that the bar is returned by the spring I III to its initial position when the rod 32 is moved upwardly near the end of the cycle'o-f operations,

To stop the operation of the pump 84 and to By the operation of this pump, therefore, currents of air are delivered into return the pump-supporting lever 88 into position again to be held by the latch lever 88, there is provided a flexible cable II2 (Fig. l) secured at one end to the bar 90 fast on the lever 68. This cable extends upwardly and forwardly over a guide pulley H4, then downwardly and forwardly under two guide pulleys H6, and then upwardly to a lever II8 to which it is connected. This lever is operated by a cam (not shown) on the cam shaft I8 and is provided in a machine of the illustrated type for the purpose of operating, in part, a socalled spreader mechanism 528 (Fig. 1) whereby the several fastening-inserting mechanisms I4 are swung inwardly toward the shoe into their fastening-inserting positions and are thereafter returned to their fastening-receiving positions, and whereby also the several tack drivers 44 are released to cause them to drive the tacks and are returned to their starting positions. The spreader mechanism I20 includes an upper plate I22 (Figs. 7 and 8) provided with lugs I24 through coaxial hearings in which extends a shaft I26 rotatably mounted in bearings in the head 6, and includes also a lower plate I28 secured to the plate I22 by bolts I38 and E32 but maintained in spaced relation to the plate I22 by shoulders on the bolts. This assembly is mounted for swinging movements about the shaft I26, and receives such upward and downward movements at certain times in the return of the parts of the machine to starting positions, as hereinafter described. The assembly provides a housing for a slide I34 mounted in a guideway I35 and connected as hereinafter described to the arm 49 of the fastening-inserting mechanism I4 at the end of the toe, and provides also a housing for two slides I38 which are mounted in guideways I40 and are connected as hereinafter described to the arms 48 of the fastening-inserting mechanisms at the sides of the shoe. Two gear segments I42, only one of which is shown, are pivotally mounted on the bolts I38 and serve to connect the slide I34 to the slides I38, each gear segment engaging rack teeth 544 on the slide I34 and rack teeth I46 on one of the slides I38. It will be seen, therefore, that as the slide I34 is moved inwardly and outwardly to swing the arm 48 at the end of the shoe toward and from the shoe respectively, corresponding movements are imparted to the slides I38 and the side arms 40.

Each slide I38 has mounted therein a secondary slide I48 which carries a ball-ended stud I50, and mounted on this stud is a two-part block I52 movable in a slideway extending heightwise of the shoe in the corresponding side arm 4%. Mounted in each of the side arms 48 is a driver bar I54 through which the cor esponding tack drivers 44 are operated, each driver bar being moved upwardly, when permitted, to drive the tacks by an arm I58 (Fig. l) operated by a torsion spring I58. Each driver bar I54 is normally held in a lowered position by engagement of a catch piece I thereon with the lower face of a projection I62 0n the corresponding slide I38. When the slides I38 are moved inwardly their secondary slides I48 are moved inwardly with them until the fastening-inserting mechanisms at the sides of the shoe have arrived in proper positions for insertion of the fastenings. For this purpose each slide I38 carries a spring-pressed plunger I84 having a V-shaped end Hi6 extending into a correspondingly shaped recess in the secondary slide I48. When further inward movements of the side fastening-inserting mechanisms are prevented by the shoe, continued inward movements of the slides I38 cause the ends of the plungers N54 to ride out of the recesses in the secondary slides M8, and such continued movements of the slides H38 cause their projections I62 to move from over the catch pieces IE!) on the driver bars I54, thereby releasing the driver bars to the action of their spring-operated arms I56.

In substantially the same manner the slide I34 serves to control the fastening-inserting mechanism at the end of the toe. The arm 40 of this mechanism serves as a guide for a driver bar I68 having a catch piece Iii) arranged to be engaged by the lower face of a projection I172 on the slide I34. This driver bar is moved upwardly, when permitted, by a spring-operated arm I14 (Fig. 1'). In order to permit continued movement of the slide I34 to release the driver bar I68 after the fastening-inserting mechanism at the end of the toe has arrived in fasteninginserting position, there is provided a yielding connection between the slide I 34 and the arm 40 of this mechanism. The arm has formed longitudinally thereof grooves I76 into which extend projections I78 on plates IBII pivotally supported on a pair of bars I82 mounted in guideways provided in members I8 5 secured to the slide I3 3. Extending into V-shaped recesses in the bars I82 are the ends I86 of spring-pressed plungers I88 mounted in the members I84. Accordingly, after the arm 46 has come to a stop the continued movement of the slide I34 causes the ends of the spring-pressed plungers I38 to ride out of the recesses in the bars I82 while at the same time the projection I72 is withdrawn from over the catch piece E75 on the driver bar I68 to release the bar and thus to cause the tack at the end of the toe to be driven.

The inward swinging movements of the several fastening-inserting mechanisms are rapid move ments, and when their movements are stopped and the V-shaped ends of the plungers IM and. I88 leave their recesses, there is a tendency for the arms 49 to rebound outwardly. In order to overcome this tendency as far as the side arms 48 are concerned, there is secured to each slide I38 a bracket 89% having therein a compression spring I92 which tends to force inwardly a rod I94 connected to the secondary slide MB. The tendency of the arm id of the fastening-inserting mechanism at the end of the toe to rebound outwardly is satisfactorily overcome by the frictional action of the plungers I555 on the bars 582.

The slides 335 and I38 are moved inwardly and outwardly as above described at the proper times in the cycle of operations of the machine by the rotation of the shaft I 26. For this purpose the shaft provided with gear teeth I96 in engagement with re K teeth I58 on the slide I34. The shaft is rotated successively in opposite directions by the cam-operated lever H8 which is provided with a segmental rack member 299 in engagement with gear teeth 252 on the shaft. It will be evident that upward movement of the lever IE8 serves to impart inward movements to the slides I34. and I38 and that downward movement of the lever serves thereafter to return the slides. In time relation to these movements of the slides, the assembly which carries the slides, comprising the plates !22 and I23, is swung first upwardly and thereafter downwardly about the shaft i255 by the engagement of a cam (not shown) with a roll 2M (Fig. 1) mountedcn an arm 2% of the assembly. These movements are for the purpose of returning the driver bars I54 and I68 to their initial positions by engagement of the projections I62 and I12 with the catch pieces I and III], respectively. For a more complete understanding of various details of the means thus provided in a machine of the illustrated type for controlling the several fastening-inserting mechanisms, United States Letters Patent No. 663,777, granted on December 11, 1900, on an application of B. F. Mc- Feelys may be consulted.

It is the above-described upward swinging movement of the lever II8 which is utilized, through the flexible cable IIZ, to swing the rotary air pump 64 out of position to be driven by the pulley 82. Initially there is sufiicient slack in the cable to permit the pump to be carried into position to be driven by the pulley when it is released by the latch lever 88, and thereafter to permit the lever IE8 to receivea portion of its upward swinging movement before it becomes effective to stop the operation of the air pump. For this reason, and in view of the fact that the movements of the slides 34 and I38 are rapid movements, the currents of air delivered by the pump 64 are effective to support I the tacks above the upper ends of the drivers substantially until the time when the driver bars are released to cause them to drive the tacks, thus insuring against the possibility of return of any of the tacks into the duct 36 from which it was delivered.

The previously mentioned reciprocating pump 66 serves to deliver momentarily a puff of air at greater pressure than the air from the rotary pump 64 into the tubes 26 to assist in dislodging the tacks from their positions of rest in the tubes and thus to insure that they will be properly fed. This pump includes a cylinder 298 secured to the casting 54 which serves as a closure for the upper end of the cylinder, and a piston 2H1 movable in the cylinder and held normally in its innermost position by a spring 212. The cylinder communicates through a passage 2M formed in the casting 54 and in the block 48 with the recess 58 in the member 55. For moving the piston 2H] outwardly against the resistance of the spring 2I2 to draw air into the cylinder through a check valve (not shown) there is provided a piston rod 2I6 connected at its outer end to a lever 2I8 pivotally mounted at 22!] on the column 8. This lever is further connected at 222 to the upper end of the rod 32, so that when this rod is moved downward at the beginning of the cycle of operations the lever H8 is swung in a. clockwise direction (Fig. 2) and thereby imparts an outward movement to the piston rod Z'IE. At its inner end the piston rod is provided with a lug 224 arranged to hook over a pin 226 in the piston 2H), so that the piston is pulled outwardly by the movement of the rod. A leaf spring 228 in the piston serves by engagement with one side of the piston rod to hold the rod normally in the position in which its lug 224 is thus in engagement with the pin 226. Near the end of the outward movement of the piston rod a cam-shaped lug 239 thereon is engaged by an adjustable screw 232 mounted in a portion of the cylinder 238 to: move the rod laterally into position to disconnect the lug 224 from the pin 228. In this manner the piston 2H) is released to the action of the spring 2I2 which forces it quickly inward and thereby delivers the previously mentioned puff of air into the tubes 26. It will be understood that when the rod 32 is moved u warcuy near the end or the cycle of operations the piston rod 2I6 is moved again into position for its lug 224 to sna over the pm 226.

The manner of operation of the machine, in so far as it is of interest with reference to the pre ent invention, will now be briefly summarized. Near the end of the preceding cycle of operations tacks will have been separated and dropped into the tubes 26, so that they lie in the lower curved portions of the tubes ready to be blown upwardly into the driver passages 42. Almost immediately uponthe starting of the machine the rod 32 is moved downward to turn the tack hopper 22 in one direction and acts through the rockshaft I04 and the arm I02 to move the bar 98 into position to interrupt communicationbetween the ducts 50 and 52 and thus to prevent any air from escaping upwardly toward the tack-separating means 24. 'The downward movement of the rod 32 also serves to move the latch lever 88 into position to release the spring-controlled lever 68 which carries the rotary air pump 64, so that the pump is carried into position to be driven by the pulley 82. This pump, therefore, starts to deliver currents of air at comparatively low pressure into the tubes 26 to blow the tacks upwardly through the ducts 36 into the driver passages 42 and thereafter to support the tacks above the upper ends of the drivers 44. The downward movement of the rod 32 serves still further to operate the lever 2I8 and thereby to cause the reciprocating pump 66 to deliver a puif of air at higher pressure into the tubes 26 to insure that the tacks in the tubes will be dislodged and started along toward the driver passages. Such use of the pump 66 is particularly advantageous if i the tacks are of a length and weight such as customary in making welt shoes. In case any tack should rebound from the wall of a driver passage back into the duct 36', the current of air from the rotary pump will be sufficient immediately to return it into the driver passage and to hold it suspended against the tack fingers 46 in readiness to be driven.

While the tacks are thus beingfed into the driver passages, the several grippers I2 grip the margin of the upper and pull it over the last, the machine then coming to a stop to afford the operator the opportunity to inspect the upper and to adjust it if necessary. When the machine is again started the lever H8 (Fig. 1) is swung upwardly to move the fastening-inserting mechanisms I4 inwardly toward the shoe into fastening-inserting positions (Fig. 6) and to release the driver bars I54 and I68 (Fig. '7) to cause the drivers to drive the upper-fastening tacks upwardly into the bottom of the shoe, the grippers being released from the upper as the fastening-inserting mechanisms are thus moved inwardly. Near the end of its upward swinging movement the lever I I8 exerts a pull on the cable II2 to move the rotary pump 64 out of position to be driven by the pulley 82 and into the posi- 'tion in which it is again held by the latch lever 88. Since the operation of the rotary pump is not terminated in this manner until substantially 'the time in the cycle when the tack driver bars are released by the action of the lever H8, the

Near the end again into position to establish communication between the ducts and 52, and also serves to turn the tack hopper 22 reversely and to operate the separating means 24 to deliver another set of tacks into the tubes 26. Near the end of the cycle also the lever H8 is swung downwardly to move the fastening-inserting mechanisms I4 again outwardly to their fastening-receiving positions, and the entire spreader mechanism I20 is swung firstupwardly and then downwardly about the shaft I255 to return the tack drivers to their starting positions.

By providing means for starting and stopping the operation of the rotary pump 64 as above described, not only is undue wear of the pump avoided, but the necessity for the use of valve mechanism also is eliminated, since it is not detubes by the separating means in view of the fact that upward escape of air at that time toward the separating means might interfere with the delivery of the tacks therefrom.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fastenings leading to said fasteninginserting means, means for delivering a prolonged current of air into said conduit to feed a fastening, and additional means for delivering a puff of air into said conduit to assist in the feeding of the fastening.

2. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fastenings leading to said fasteninginserting means, means for delivering a current of air at comparatively low pressure into said conduit to feed a fastening and for continuing said current of air substantially until the time of the fastening-inserting operation, and additional means for delivering a puff of air at higher pressure into said conduit to assist in the feeding of the fastening.

3. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fastenings leading to said fasteninginserting means, means for depositing a fastening in saidconduit, means for thereafter delivering a prolonged current of air into said conduit to feed the fastening to the fastening-inserting means, and additional means for delivering a puff of air into said conduit to assist in starting the feed of the fastening.

4. In a fastening-inserting machine,- the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fastenings leading to said fasteninginserting means, a rotary pump for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed a fastening and for continuing the current of air after the feeding of the fastening, and a reciprocating pump for delivering a puff of air into said conduit to assist in the feeding of the fastening.

5. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fastenings leading to said fasteningin'serting means, two sources of air supply arranged to communicate with said conduit, means for effecting a prolonged delivery of air into the conduit from one of said sources to feed a fastening to said fastening-inserting means, and means for effecting a momentary delivery of air into the conduit from the other of said sources to assist in the feeding of the fastening.

6. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fastenings leading to said fasteninginserting means, means for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed a fastening to said fastening-inserting means and for continuing said current of air after the feeding of the fastening, a reciprocating air pump arranged to communicate with said conduit, and means for operating said pump to deliver a puff of air into the conduit to assist in the feeding of the fastening.

7. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fastenings leading to said fasteninginserting means, a rotary pump for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed a fastening, automatic means for starting the operation of said rotary pump each time a fastening is to be fed and for continuing its operation after the feeding of the fastening, a reciprocating pump also arranged to communicate with said conduit, and means for operating said reciprocating pump to deliver a puff of air into the conduit to assist in the feeding of each fastening 8. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fastenings leading to said fasteninginserting means, a rotary pump for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed each fastening to the fastening-inserting means, and automatic means for starting the operation of said rotary pump each time a fastening is to be fed and for continuing its operation substantially until the time of the fastening-inserting operation.

9. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fasteningsleading to said fasteninginserting means, a rotary pump for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed each fastening to the fastening-inserting means, a rotatable driving member, and automatic means for connecting and disconnecting said pump and driving member to initiate and terminate the operation of the pump prior to and after the feeding of each fastening respectively.

10. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means, of a conduit for fastenings leading to said fasteninginserting means, a rotary pump for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed each fastening to the fastening-inserting means, a rotatable driving member, means tending to move the pump into position to be driven by said member, a device for holding the pump initially out of operative relation to said member and for releasing it'to cause it to be driven and thus to deliver the current of air, and automatic means for returning the pump into position to be held by said device and for thereby terminating its operation.

11. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means includ ing a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, of a conduit for fastenings having a portion extending upwardly and opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, means for depositing a fastening in said conduit, means for thereafter delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed the fastening into the driver passage, and additional means to assist in overcoming the inertia of the fastening in said conduit and in thus starting its feeding movement.

12. Ina fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means including a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, of a conduit for fastenings having a portion extending upwardly and opening into said driver assage above the driver when the driver is in itsinitial position, means for depositing a fastening in said conduit, means for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed the fastening into the driver passage and for continuing said current of air to support the.

fastening above the driver, and additional means for delivering a pufi of air into said conduit to assist in starting the feed of the fastening.

13. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means including a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, of a conduit for fastenings having a portion extending upwardly and opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, means for depositing a fastening in said conduit, a rotary pump for delivering a current of air at comparatively low pressure into said conduit to feed the fastening into the driver passage and for continuing said current of air to support the fastening above the driver, and a reciprocating pump for delivering a puff of air at higher pressure into said conduit to assist in starting the feed of the fastening.

14. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means including a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, of a conduit for fastenings having a curved intermediate portion and two upwardly extending portions, one of said upwardly extending portions opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, means for depositing a fastening in the other upwardly extending portion of the conduit to cause it to come to rest in the intermediate portion thereof, means for delivering a current of air into the conduit to feed the fastening upwardly into the driver passage and for continuing said current of air to support the fastening above the driver, and means to assist said current of air in dislodging the fastening from its position of rest and in thus starting its feeding movement.

15. In a fastening-inserting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means including a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, of a conduit for fastenings having a curved intermediate portion and two upwardly extending portions, one of said upwardly extending portions opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, means for depositing a fastening in the other upwardly extending portion of the conduit to cause it to come to rest in the intermediate portion thereof, means for delivering a current of air at comparatively low pressure into said conduit to feed the fastening into the driver passage and for continuing said current of air to support the fastening above the driver, and additional means for delivering a puff of air at higher pressure into said conduit to assist in starting the feed of the fastening.

16. In a fastening-inserting machine, fastening-inserting means including a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, said fastening-inserting means being movable in a direction transverse to the path of upward movement of the driver from a fasteningreceiving position into fastening-inserting position, a conduit for fastenings having a portion extending upwardly and opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, means for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed a fastening into the driver passage when the fastening-inserting means is in fastening-receiving position and for continuing said current of air to support the fastening above the driver during the movement of the fastening-inserting means into fastening-inserting position, and additional means for delivering a pufi of air into said conduit to assist in feeding the fastening when the fastening-in-- serting means in in fastening-receiving position.

1'7. In a fastening-inserting machine, fastening-inserting means including a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, said fastening-inserting means being movable in a direction transverse to the path of upward movement of the driver from a fastenin receiving position into fastening-inserting position, a conduit for fastenings having a portion extending upwardly and opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, two sources of air supply arranged to communicate with said conduit, means for effecting delivery of air into the conduit from one of said sources to feed a fastening into the driver passage when the fastening-inserting means is in fastening-receiving position and for continuing said delivery of air to support the fastening above the driver during the movement of the fastening-inserting means into fasteninginserting position, and means for effecting a momentary delivery of air into the conduit from the other of said sources to assist in the feeding of the fastening when the fastening-inserting means is in fastening-receiving position.

18. In a fastening-inserting machine, fastening-inserting means including a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, said fastening-inserting means being movable in a direction transverse to the path of upward movement of the driver from a fasteningreceiving position into fastening-inserting position, a conduit for fastenings having a portion extending upwardly and opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, a rotary pump for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed a fastening into the driver passage when the fastening-v inserting means is in fastening-receiving position and for continuing said current of air to support the fastening above the driver during the movement of the fastening-inserting means into fastening-inserting position, and a reciprocating iing upwardly and opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, means for delivering a current of air I into said conduit to feed a fastening into the driver passage when the fastening-inserting means is in fastening-receiving position and for continuing said current of air to support the fastening above the driver during the movement of the fastening-inserting means into fasteninginserting position, a reciprocatory member for thus moving said fastening-inserting means, and. mechanism for terminating the delivery of air into said conduit by movement of said member.

20. In a fastening-inserting machine, fasten-- ing-inserting means including a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, said fastening-inserting means being movable in a direction transverse to the path of upward movement of the driver from a fastening-receiving position into fastening-inserting position, a conduit for fastenings having a portion extending upwardly and opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, a rotary pump for delivering a current. of air into said conduit to feed a fastening into the driver passage when the fastening-inserting means is in fastening-receiving position and for continuing said current of air to support the fastening above the driver during the movement of the fastenin inserting means into fastening-inserting position, a reciprocatory member for thus moving said fastening-inserting means, and mechanism arranged to be operated by said member to stop the operation of said pump.

21. In a fastening-inserting machine, fastening-inserting means including a driver movable upwardly in a driver passage to insert a fastening, said fastening-inserting means being movable in a direction transverse to the path of upward movement of the driver from a fastening-receiving position into fastening-inserting position, a conduit for fastenings having a portion extending upwardly and opening into said driver passage above the driver when the driver is in its initial position, a rotary pump for delivering a current of air into said conduit to feed a fastening into the driver passage when the fastening-inserting means is in fastening-receiving position and for continuing said current of air to support the fastening above the driver during the movement of the fastening-inserting means into fasteninginserting position, a reciprocatory member for thus moving said fastening-inserting means, a rotatable member for driving said pump, and a flexible cable arranged to be operated by said reciprocatory member to disconnect the pump from said rotatable member.

22. In article-feeding means, the combination with a conduit for articles to be fed, of two sources of air supply arranged to communicate with said conduit, means for effecting a prolonged delivery of air into the conduit from one of said sources to feed an article along the conduit, and means for effecting a momentary delivery of air into the conduit from the other of said sources to assist in the feeding of the article.

23. In article-feeding means, the combination with a conduit for articles to be fed, of means for delivering a current of air at comparatively low pressure into said conduit to feed an article along the conduit, and additional means for delivering a puff of air at higher pressure into said conduit to assist in dislodging the article from a position of rest.

24. In article-feeding means, the combination 

